Tel Aviv

Things to do in Tel Aviv

As one of Israel’s most lively cities, there really is no shortage of things to do in Tel Aviv and for this reason, the city has earned a reputation as being open 24 hours a day (except for the Sabbath, of course).
Start your trip off with a day spent in the charming city of Jaffa, which is the “old city” section of Tel Aviv and served as a major port of the ancient world. Admire centuries-old stonework, dip into a hookah bar for an afternoon smoke and wander along the cobblestone streets that run along the Jaffa port.

Back in Tel Aviv proper, be sure to visit the ever-bustling Carmel Market where tourists can get everything from cheesy souvenirs to rare spices and authentic foodstuffs. From there, head to the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, founded in 1932 by the city’s first mayor, and see the work of local and international artists or go on a free morning tour of the city’s extensive Bauhaus architecture, which is admired worldwide.

And before you go, leave your mark on the city in the Florentine neighborhood, often described as Israel’s version of Williamsburg or Portland. Browse art galleries, throw back an Israeli beer and feel free to purchase a few cans of spray-paint and leave your own tag: Graffiti is legal in the neighborhood. And finally, be sure to rent a bike through the Tel Aviv’s Tel-o-Fun bike share if you’re wondering what to do in Tel Aviv. The breezy ride along the boardwalk is one you won’t soon forget.

Wedged into a tight, triangular site within the city’s central cultural complex, this piece of architectural origami uses a soaring, twisting, 87-foot-tall atrium, called Lightfall, to link a series of refreshingly uncomplicated galleries.

The Russian nerve center of Allenby Street is full of curious pensioners and boulevard intellectuals feasting on a lifetime’s worth of Isaac Asimov’s science fiction, Russian translations of the kabbalah, and an illustrated Hebrew-Russian version of Pushkin’s Eugene Onegin, which is pres

A neo-Georgian supper club, a place where one can order a cool
pomegranate vodka drink, featuring grenadine juice from Russia and
crushed ice, or a frozen margarita made with native arak liquor,
almonds, and rose juice. The décor is mellow and cozy like a shabby

The club hosts a popular Sunday night showcase for Russian bands called “Stakanchik,” or “little drinking glass.” Amid luxuriant George of the Jungle décor, young, hip, and sometimes pregnant people in ironic CCCP and Jesus T-shirts shimmy and sway by the stage.